The Story Of How You Saved Me DRAMIONE CHALLENGE
by egyptian fairytale
Summary: Hermione has been contracted into an arranged marriage with Ron, whom she doesn't love and doesn't want to marry. Draco Malfoy brings her back to life and shows her what love really is, after she looses faith. But will she have to let him go?


I couldn't do it anymore, I just couldn't. There were so many expectations and opinions. An arranged marriage wasn't just an arranged marriage, it was an arranged future.

The thought of settling down, getting married made me want to run away and hide somewhere, let alone doing it with someone that I wasn't in love with.

I was lying alone in my dormitory. Everything was dark apart from the rays of ivory moonlight dancing across the room. I had to face the truth sooner or later, In 3 weeks I was going to be dragging myself up the aisle, to Ron Weasley. A life long friends, but not the love of my life.

I hadn't planned one thing, I had left that to Mine and Ron's mum. I didn't really know how Ron felt about the whole thing, but I felt sick every time I so much as thought about it.

I rolled over to face the wall and inhaled deeply. I didn't want to go down to dinner, I wasn't hungry. So I pulled the soft covers over myself and dove into the World of sleep, where my troubles disappeared.

The next day I awoke to find a blue envelope on my bedside table, I reached out to retrieve the envelope. I tried my best not to expose any other part of my body, except my arm to the cold air. But it proved impossible.

I lay back against the soft scarlet pillows and unfolded the piece of paper that had been inside the envelope. The piece of paper was folded, with flowers bordering the italic writing.

_Dear seventh year,_

_Tomorrow night there is a celebration party in the Great Hall to mark our departure from Hogwarts. _

_Please note that the extraction of alcohol out of the Great Hall throughout the celebration is prohibited. _

I breathed in deeply imagining what I could expect of tomorrow nights antics. I didn't really want to go, especially if Ron was going to be there, that would just be too much.

I looked around the dingy room I had confined myself to, for what seemed like a month. The curtains were drawn, I had no company and the more I drank in my surroundings, the more depressed I became.

Yeah! I would go to the party tomorrow night, it would take my mind off things and it's not like I had any other plans. I would have to face Ron sooner or later, whether it be at the altar of a Church, or getting smashed at the party.

Having spent far too long in bed already, I got up and wandered into the bathroom. I peeled away my pyjamas from my skin and turned the water for the shower on. I stepped into the shower and into the warm waterfall of water trickling slowly down my back.

The heat of the water felt nice against my skin, I felt like I could have stayed in here forever. After about 10 minutes I managed to drag myself out of the tiled cubicle and wrapped a towel around my dripping form.

After I had wiped away the excess water I left the bathroom and got dressed. I didn't really tend to make much of an effort these days, what was the point? Once I was dressed I strolled out of my dormitory into the sunlight that was flooding the common room. There was only a few other people in there, dispersed around the richly furnished room. I didn't really know any of them, so I swiftly left, via the porthole.

I passed the moving portraits of the transparent figures moving from side to side, staring at me curiously, as I whizzed past them down to the Great Hall. I was feeling slightly more upbeat than I had done yesterday, probably because I wasn't stuck in that dark and gloomy room. I slowly paced up the stone flooring of the Great Hall until I reached the familiar face of Ginny, sitting at the Gryffindor table, her waterfall of fiery hair cascading down her back made it easy to depict her from the sea of heads before me.

"Hi Ginny."

She looked rather shocked to see me, after my recent withdraw from public all together. Soon a warm smile crept across her peachy lips.

"Oh hi Hermione, come and sit down!"

I saw her shoot a cautious expression in Ginny's direction, I wasn't a mental patient, I didn't need any special treatment. I tucked my legs under the solid wooden frame of the bench and shifted from side to side, trying to get comfortable.

"So what have you guys been up to recently?"

Ginny seemed to be forcing her cheeriness a little to obviously and it was beginning to get on my nerves slightly. Of course I wouldn't portray any agitation in any responses, verbal or physical.

"Well Harry and I had a lovely day yesterday, in Diagon Alley with Luna and Neville."

I smiled weakly trying to convince her of my interest in the topic. Just then I saw a familiar face out of the corner of my eye as the figure encroached upon me. I spun around in my seat and saw Ron standing at a slight angle, directly behind me. I suddenly felt sick and my bed wasn't didn't seem so unattractive right now. What I wouldn't give to escape this looming confrontation.

"Hey Hermione..."

His tone was nervous and pleased at the same time. He had been trying to stay positive about the whole arrangement since the beginning, sadly I did not share his attitude towards it. In fact I wasn't really sure what he felt about the situation. It didn't take a genius to work out that he was quite pleased about it all, seeing as he had been in love with me since 5th year. I didn't want to hurt his feeligs with my subjective, negative and generally distraught attitude. He may have been perfectly happy, I on the other hand couldn't be unhappier.

His face semmed eager for a reply, idealy a pleasant one. I tried to force the words out of my throat but there was a lump, the size of a golf ball blocked in it, preventing me from making any response. My stomach had started to do acrobatics inside me and I was beginning to feel really nausseas. His face was now portraying a slightly concerned expression.

"Hermione, are you alright?"

I couldn't do it, I thought I could but I just couldn't. I couldn't create a facade of contentment and prance around like everything was fine. I had to get out of here, it was all too much. I lurched up from my seat and fled back down the stone flooring and out though the huge double doors.

I collapsed panting against the cold walls, a sheen of sweat residing on my furrowed brow. How on Earth was I going to marry Ron if I couldn't endure 2 minutes in the same room as him? My chin was being propped up by my knees and my hands were tangled in my uncontrollable hair.

"Hermione?"

I jumped up from my languid state and found myself staring into the molten silver eyes of Draco Malfoy. I froze in utter humiliation at the fact that he had caught me in such a vulnerable state. I attempted to barricade the river of tears behind my hooded lids, before I answered him.

"What is it Malfoy?"

I hadn't sounded nearly as aggressive in my reply as I had hoped to. At the moment I really didn't care, not about this, or anything.

"Are you alright?"

I was taken aback by his concerned tone, it wasn't like him at all. I had expected him to hurl an unnecessary insult at me and then strut off.

"I'm.. I'm ... fine"

Once again I ran off, not being able to explain the situation. Up the numerous flights of twisting and rotating stairs until I reached the porthole, where the plump form of the fat lady awaited any approaching pupils.

The faces of the remaining people that were still sat in the common room were reasonably shocked when they saw me fleeing up the spiralled staircase, tear stricken, to my dormitory. I tossed the blue envelope off my bed and plunged into the soft abyss of red fabric. I buried my head in the pillows and attempted to forget about the upcoming inevitable events of the next few weeks.

After about 10 minutes I jumped up and retrieved the pale blue envelope and pondered over whether I should attend the celebrations tonight. No! I wasn't going to spend my last night at Hogwarts cooped up in here. I was going to forget about everything and enjoy this evening. Not completely abandoning my determination to steer clear of Ron.

So many major events in my life had taken place here, I should think that such a monumental concluding chapter of my life deserved a worthy send off. I was determined to have a good time.

Later on that day excited 7th years started running in and out of their dormitories, each time coming out with something different. Mostly perfume, hair dryers and make-up. I decided to get ready reasonably discreetly, in my own dorm, away from others.

I sat myself in front of a somewhat, grubby mirror and began to drag a brush through my head of wild curls. After what felt like hours of tugging and pulling my hair ended up looking quite nice. I twirled my now tame locks, up into a slightly off-centre ponytail and secured it in place. I wasn't really a big fan of make-up, but I would use it from time to time, depending on the occasion. I ran the block of coloured gloss over my lips and then pursed my lips together, making sure I had demolished any excess gloss.

I didn't need to have another shower, I had had one this morning. I strode over to my wardrobe and skimmed through the clothes hanging from the railing, eventually deciding on a formal, black dress, I unhooked the clasps on the back and stepped into the pool of silk at my feet. I had never really felt particularly comfortable in dresses, they just weren't really my style, but for this I would make an exception.

Even though I was ready and didn't have anything else to do, I didn't want to go down yet, because I would be one of the first and everyone else was still getting ready. I couldn't really work out what they did that took such a long time. It was all a bit of a mystery to me.

I didn't want to stay here for too long, my mind would begin to stray and think about things that I really didn't want to think about. Eventually they all began to disperse from the common room and their dormitories and make their way down to the Great Hall. I waited behind a few minutes longer and then followed in suit. There weren't many people on the stairs, they must have already been downstairs.

As I approached the elaborately decorated entrance, my ears began to pound, at the sound of loud music. I don't suppose I would have condemned myself to this, even if the circumstances were reversed. No, no, I was going to celebrate my last evening at Hogwarts, with the people who had shared the experienced with me. The abundance of alcohol was actually quite surprising, especially as it had been supplied by the school.

There were florescant lights darting around the room and the pounding in my ears only grew worse when I entered the room. I saw what looked like a bar, with a few spare stools. I swiftly claimed one of the seats and poured myself a much needed drink. I didn't no where Harry and Ron were come to think of it. Ginny wouldn't have been allowed to come, seeing as she is the year below.

I sipped at the rather sour liquid, and as I swallowed it, it left a trail of fire down my throat. I decided that I didn't really like the sensation and pushed the glass to one side.

"A bit too strong for you Granger?"

I spun around to find the same stormy eyes staring back at me, just as they had done earlier today. Why was he taking so much interest in me? It was odd...

"I'm fine, I just didn't like it. Aren't you going to start hurling insults at me now?"

He sat down in the vacant seat, next to mine and gulped down the same liquid I did not like in one go.

"No..."

I was surprised, something was different about him. Why was he being so... nice?

"What was the matter with you earlier today? I saw you crying in the entrance hall."

I breathed in deeply, all kind of thoughts rushing back, into my already overcrowded mind.

"Oh... its nothing,"

He raised his eyebrow in a disbelieving way, which was beginning to make me feel rather uncomfortable.

"It looked like something to me."

I could see that he was going to be persistent and that I would have to submit, and tell him just the main factors of my distress, purely to satisfy his curiosity.

"Well... As I am sure you've heard, I have been contracted into an arranged marriage, with Ron. The thing is... I don't love him and I want to have a life, experience the World, before I settle down into a marriage. I am not in love with him."

Oh look at that, I told him everything. I decided to blame it on the alcohol, even though such a meager amount couldn't possibly have taken any effect. I looked up at him and was quite shocked by what I saw portrayed in his expression. Was that sympathy? No! I had to be mistaken, was the whole World turning upside down?

"It's ok, you don't have to feel sorry for me"

I was trying to make the situation a little less awkward, by pretending that it wasn't really a big deal. When inside it was tearing me apart.

"It's clearly not ok, how could anyone be ok with what you're being subjected to? It's ludicrous, you don't marry someone unless you're in love with them!"

I was seriously beginning to think that someone had spiked my drink and that I was imagining all of this. Draco Malfoy had a heart, who knew? Although his reaction was unexpected, it did feel nice that someone was trying to empathise with me. No one else had, they just told me to grit my teeth and get on with it.

"Hermione, you can't do this to yourself! You can't marry him if you don't love him."

This was the first time ever, out of my whole 8 years at Hogwarts he had ever called me by my first name. Oh how I wished it was that simple, that I could just run away from reality.

"I have no choice, it has been pre-contracted. I'm stuck and I can't get out."

I seemed to be sharing an awful lot of emotions with him, considering our past offences. Right now I didn't care, he was listening to how I felt, which is more than anyone else had done so far.

"There is always a way out, whether it be difficult or easy, there is always a way."

I suddenly felt a wave of admiration coarse through my body. I was beginning to feel free, just his words made ne forget about everything. Then something really unexpected happened, he rested his hand in mine and squeezed it tightly. I couldn't explain it, he made me feel so alive, like I didn't have to do anything if I didn't want to.

"Come with me Granger?"

I don't care what people think, this is the best I'd felt in months and I wasn't going to let this pass. I reached over to the still full, glass of whisky and down it all at once. Creating a burning sensation through all of my body. He looked up at me, now with a smile creeping across his lips. I held onto his hand and he got up taking me away from the loud music and bright lights of the party. I didn't know what I was doing, but that was the best bit. He had revived life in me, that I thought I had lost.

He still held onto my palm tightly and ran out into the open air of the night. We kept on running; past the emerald fields and the leafy trees of the forest, until we finally came to a halt at the lake. We were both out of breath and panting. I looked up at the sight before me, it was beautiful. The water was an abyss of sapphire, holding the reflection of the ivory orb that was the moon, the onyx skies were glistening in spangled starlight and the water was rippling softly in the gentle Summer breeze.

"It's beautiful."

No longer being able to contain my awe. I noticed that Draco's hand was still wrapped tightly around mine, not that I really cared anymore.

"I know."

I just stood there drinking in my surroundings, completely enraptured. I had never been out here late at night before and I hadn't realised what I was missing.

"Draco, why are you... being so kind to me?"

He turned to face me, with no expression of hurt or remorse. He didn't even let go of my hand.

"That person was never me, I was just being used as a channel of vindictive, spiteful and awful behavior. I don't want to be that person anymore."

Well, I was all for redemption. Why couldn't he change? I was prepared to take his word for it even if no one else was. I had seen a side of him tonight I had never even seen a glimpse of before.

"Do you want to feel alive?"

It was what I wanted most of all, and to hear someone offering it to me was music to my ears.

"Yes, I want to feel alive again."

"Then jump."

He was asking me to jump into the water, it looked freezing. Even though it looked cold there was something so tempting about the thought of plunging beneath the surface. I nodded and closed my eyes. I leaped up into the air and then began to fall towards the water beneath me, his hand still in mine. Then every inch of my body felt like a live wire as I plunged into the icey water, bneathe the velvety surface. I had never done anything like this, it was reckless and that was not a word many people would use to describe me. I felt alive though, so alive.

I pulled head up from the water and faced Draco, who was staring back at me. My breath was steaming up infront of me and so was his.

"Do you feel alive yet?"

I laughed out loud, feeling not only alive but free. There was something about him, he was so vivacious and yet relaxed.

"Yes, thank you."

I felt his hand on my cheek, his body moved closer to mine under the water. He then leaned in further towards me and rested his chilled forehead against mine. I closed my eyes, not wanting this feeling of intensity to end. Seconds later I could feel his lips, pressed firmly against mine. It felt amazing, his tongue brushed past the slight parting of my lips and then pushed his toungue inside my mouth. His hands were cradling my face, it felt so nice, so passionate and real.

It felt like the whole world was standing still, whilst we were joined together, nothing else mattered. After what seemed like hours he pulled away and stared at me tenderley with his molten silver orbs. His eyes burned over me in a trail of fire. His hands were still resting against my face, still gentle and still tender.

"Meet me tomorrow?"

My heart leaped into my mouth at his request. There was no way I was going to turn this opportunity away, no matter how indecent it would be classified by other people.

"Yes."

I didn't know how far or what was going to happen between us, but right now I was living for the moment and he made me feel free from everything that was trying to tie me down. He brought me back to life

**A/N: Ok so this is a challenge were you had to pick 5 chapter titles from a list of 200 and write a story, with each chapter having some relation to the title. I hope you like the first chapter, things get a lot more interesting later on. Please please review, whether it be good or bad your opinion is much appreciated. :D**


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